Jumpstart your
problem solving
with QED Templates

The requirements specification is a document that describes the functional and non-functional aspects of the software. The SRS defines the capabilities of the provided software. The requirements phase is the most critical phase of the software development life cycle. The errors in the specification contribute more than fifty percent of the bugs in a product. Wrong or missing requirements lead to incomplete outcomes. The software quality depends on an efficient SRS team. Specification defects are common when an analyst or a developer has a different understanding of the requirements. Thorough testing at this phase of development is necessary. Improper testing leads to the emergence of more defects in later phases. Detection of flaws in the right time can save money and rework. So, a keen study for the detection of faults would speed up a development process with less error.

Specification Defects
Changing environment

• Internal changes
  • Charter changes
  • Division reorganization
• External changes
  •  Interfaces not clearly documented
  •  Interfaces keep changing
• Technology changes
  • Unstable/ buggy
  • Insufficient training
• Hardware changes

System architecture

• Not consistent across division
  • Lack of standards
  • Indecisive management
• Modules don’t fit together
  • Bad design
  • Incompatibility

External reference specification 

• Lack of hardware specification
• Missing/ Unavailable
  •   None provided with inherited product
    • No process for inheriting product
  •   Lack of documentation standards
• Don’t know one exists
  •   Lack of processes for documentation
  •   Inadequate communication
  •   Poor project teamwork
• Not current
  •   Informal control mechanism

Limited understanding

• Unforeseen side effects
  •   Incomplete analysis
  •   Complicated specification
• Backward compatibility not understood
  •   Missing specifications
  •   Old specifications too complicated
    •  No standard format
    •  Poor organization
• User needs not well understood/ interpreted
• New technologies

This fishbone template describes some vital reasons for defects in the specification. This root cause analysis template enables us to organize the reasons for similar issues. There are several groups created based on the nature of the causes. The root cause analysis process helps identify more causes as we delve deep into the matter.

Who should use the Specification Defects template?

• Team and individuals who want to find out the reasons for defects in specifications.
• New team members or learners who need to understand the root causes of erroneous specifications.

Why use this template?

• Point out the reasons for defects in a specification.
• Alter or extend the template in smartQED to reuse it for problem analysis and resolution.
• Craft your templates for various types of problem analysis in smartQED.

Curated from community experience and public Source:

• https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Software-Failure-Analysis-for-High-Return-Process-Grady/3e0f28ec8931249488adcf615b43a6fa2cb158be/figure/6